


Overprotected

by Estrea



Category: Hello! Project, Morning Musume.
Genre: F/F, Teenagers, dance, practice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-10
Updated: 2014-08-10
Packaged: 2018-02-12 14:40:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2113746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estrea/pseuds/Estrea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sayashi Riho just wanted to focus on work and enjoy dance. Who has time for dumb teenage hormones anyway?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Overprotected

Teenage hormones were something that happened to other people, Sayashi Riho decided. She was far too sensible for such nonsense; she had goals, objectives, so many _things_ to do. She didn't have time for worrying about boys or having hangups over her self esteem -- though she _did_ worry about getting fat, since as an idol she had an image to maintain. All part of the job!

 

She was actually early to dance lessons for once today too -- not that she was _always_ late, but she was rarely the first in. It helped to have work before that, so she was already conveniently in the area, and since this was next on her schedule, she decided to just come in early to practice.

 

The room was vacant, locked until a helpful staff member had let her in upon spotting her loitering in the hallway. Now freshly changed to lesson gear (loose pants, baggy top and sneakers), she plugged her earphones into her iPod and thumbed the wheel speculatively, rolling her shoulders and doing some preliminary stretches to warm up.

 

Her thoughts wandered back. Coming from school earlier today, she recalled how during lunch break where all her female classmates were gossiping about boys. She had watched with a semi-indifferent expression, until some genius had directed the conversation towards her. As if they didn't know she wasn't contractually allowed to date! But no, inquisitive teenagers being what they were, they still wanted to know what was her 'type'. No harm in entertaining them, she thought. After all, she did want to fit in. If she gave generic enough answers, perhaps that would satisfy them?

 

Still, it was somewhat annoying to see the girls squealing over so-and-so from whatever class, as if that was the beginning and ending of their lives. Was that all they had to look forward to? Riho couldn't contemplate having her entire existence fixated on finding the right guy to marry. She supposed it would happen when it happened, since she did plan on having a family one day, but she did have ambitions for her life beyond becoming a wife and mother. And as things stood, she didn't have space in her busy schedule for something as trivial as teenage infatuations.

 

Her iPod wheeled on shuffle through her considerable playlist. She still had time, and although she knew that she would be better served by practicing the moves for the upcoming single, she figured she still had time to do something a little different for once. She was more than a half hour early, after all. Surely she could spare a few minutes freestyling for a while? It truly has been too long since she got to do that...

 

 _Click. Click._ She switched playlists to her collection of Western music. For any number of reasons, she had picked up a small collection of Western dance music, a legacy of her training at ASH. She enjoyed the beat, it was something fresh to her, and her body already began to move in time to the rhythm. Her hair, already pulled to its usual loose side ponytail, swished as she improvised to the music.

 

Dancing had always been sort of a means to the end. She had wanted to take the stage, and dancing well was one way to get there. Along the way though, she had fallen in love with dance itself, to the point of neglecting her vocal training, a fact she had sorely regretted upon joining Morning Musume. She had struggled hard to catch up, and envied how Oda-chan seemed to take to it so effortlessly. There was no way she would allow herself to be shoved out of the spotlight by her own junior though, so she had redoubled her efforts to improve her singing. It was only right, as the ace and the center, that she had to put in twice as much effort to keeping her place. She had a responsibility to the group and to the fans; she had to be the best she could be.

 

That said, there wasn't really much time to just do what she loved for fun anymore. It was all work, and the formation dance that was Morning Musume's greatest weapon also locked her within its confines. She performed her role as expected, but a part of her chafed at the restraints at times. It was like a Ferrari being restricted to ordinary speed limits. Riho had not had the chance to let loose except at events, and even then it was still within tightly controlled limits. It was the price she had to pay, she acknowledged, but surely, just for a little while, she could cut loose...?

 

The next song came up, and for a moment, Riho stilled. Then very slowly, she smiled.

 

_How very appropriate._

 

Now fully warmed up, Riho turned her mind off, letting her body take over as she lost herself within the music. She moved sinuously, smooth and deliberate, always in time, always on the beat. Rhythm is life! She could almost hear Tsunku-san say, and smiled again at that.

 

_I need time_  
 _Love_  
 _Joy_  
 _I need space_  
 _I need... Me._

 

It was all in English, but Riho had looked up the lyrics before. Teenage hormones or not, she was still definitely an adolescent, and the rebellious streak did exist somewhere in her. She was always obedient and on her best behaviour most of the time, but she did act out once in a while. The rest of the time, she restricted herself to expression through music. Through dance, where she could be herself.

 

_I don't need nobody telling me just what I wanna_  
 _What I what what what I'm gonna_  
 _Do about my destiny_  
 _I say, No, no_  
 _Nobody's telling me just what what what I wanna do, do_  
 _I'm so fed up with people telling me to be_  
 _Someone else but me_

 

There was freedom here, in the motion, in the effort she exerted, the sweat that flicked off her forehead and slicked down her neck. Who needed boys or those other complicated things? She had her work, and her dance. That was all she needed for now.

 

_What am I to do with my life_  
 _How am I supposed to know what's right?_  
 _I can't help the way I feel_  
 _But my life has been so overprotected_

 

And stop. Her chest heaving from the effort -- it had been a while since she went all out like this, without following choreography, just doing whatever her body felt most appropriate to be in sync with the music. It was exhilarating, an adrenaline high that sent tingles through her. When she looked up, triumphant and gleeful, her grinning face sort of froze when she noticed she had an audience.

 

"Um." Riho swallowed awkwardly. It wasn't like she was unused to people watching her dance. God knows it was her job, and being in ASH before meant that she was already used to people watching her dance since a young age. Yet, somehow, it felt somehow weird to have someone watching her like this. It wasn't exactly private or anything, but she had been having a moment.

 

"Ah, sorry if I was intruding on you, Sayashi-san. I happened to arrive early and the door was unlocked so..."

 

The interloper apologized awkwardly, one hand scratching at her short crop of hair. Kudo Haruka had been leaning against a wall when Riho had finally come out of her dance-induced trance, apparently watching quite avidly until their eyes had met through the mirror that ran across the length of the wall Riho had been facing.

 

"No no, it's fine... You just surprised me a little, that's all." Riho waved it off, trotting over to where her things were and pulling a towel out of her bag to wipe at the sweat she had built up. Haruka followed her over, putting her things down next to Riho's. The lanky girl was already in lesson-appropriate wear, and came across more boyish than ever with shorts and t-shirt. Odd, really, Riho thought, considering how pretty a face the girl had. It almost made her a little jealous to see such perfectly balanced features, but Riho had long since given up on envying others for every little thing. When one was in the idol business, beautiful people were a dime a dozen, and Riho didn't want to depress herself by getting too hung up over it.

 

"But you were really amazing, Sayashi-san... that was really good." Haruka enthused, eyes sparkling as she complimented her senior. There it was again, the flattery. Well, not so much flattery considering how sincere Duu sounded, but Riho always had her doubts. It was a built-in defensive mechanism, what with the _ikemen_ of the group dazzling half the girls in the Project with her good looks and almost gentlemanly charm.

 

Riho was not easily impressed, and it showed in her carefully impassive expression. She did make an effort to smile for the compliment, but it was awkward and they both knew it. Haruka instinctively took a step back, unsure what to say. It made Riho want to apologize for the weird tension, but she couldn't find the words, and the moment passed as quickly as it came.

 

"Well! You sure are early for lessons today Sayashi-san! Will you practice with me? Haru needs help with the new dance..."

 

Good on her for changing the subject, Riho thought with some relief. She couldn't help but be a tad more frigid with the boyish girl of late, for reasons she herself wasn't exactly sure about. Maybe it was a holdover from their roles in Lilium. Where everyone else had been going gaga over the cool False-sama, Riho alone had felt kinship with her character, Lily. So what if she was the target of the _kabedon_ every single time? It wasn't like it meant anything anyway.

 

In any case, the musical had just made the already popular Duu even more popular with girls. Riho watched this turn of events with a detachment that would be the envy of Wada-san's Snow. Speaking of Wada-san, of course, she was the latest one in Duu's string of victims. Not to mention that Duu herself had been quite enamoured with the beautiful leader of S/mileage lately, sparing no effort in showing her appreciation. It was amusing to watch their interactions, even if it got slightly absurd since it was even extending offstage.

 

Riho understood business relationships. It was just annoying to see all the hue and cry over a manufactured character. Duu was just Duu. Yes, the girl was cool and good-looking and a really nice person. And so what? Were they all so starved for relationships that they'd just latch onto the nearest ikemen that was safe to go gaga over? Honestly!

 

Riho did not understand teenage hormones. It was ridiculous. Absurd! She had no time for such frivolities. Besides, these things were so fickle. Why, didn't Duu use to proclaim that she was her favorite person? But now the girl had moved on to greener pastures.

 

Not that Riho was upset about that, no. Of course not. It was ridiculous, that was all. It meant nothing whatsoever...

 

"Sayashi-san? You look irritated. Did Haru do something?"

 

Ah. Riho blinked, realizing that her emotions must have shown on her face. What was she even thinking? She sighed, shaking her head at the baffled expression on Haruka's face.

 

"It's nothing. I was just thinking about something. What did you want me to help you with?"

 

As they moved on to practice, Riho could not help but feel the familiar dissonance whenever she was near Duu. She dismissed it as always. Just a carryover from the play, she told herself.

 

_Maybe I'm still stuck in Chrysalis?_

**Author's Note:**

> I laugh at your self-denial, Riho. XD


End file.
